Texas Instruments TI-89 Titanium Graphing Calculator
by Texas Instruments
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Texas Instruments TI-89 Titanium Graphing Calculator
Customer Review: Top of the line for almost everyone
Summary: 4 Stars
The TI-89 Titanium replaces my TI-83. Some people have said if you aren't going to take Calculus then don't bother getting the TI-89 because it's more complicated. I disagree. I've had it less than a day, and without reading the manual, I did 1-var stats, took the nth root power, solved an equation, and did a factorial. I think it's intuitive enough, and a big improvement functionally. At some point, I'll take Calc and above, so I won't need to learn a new calculator at the same time.
The next consideration then is cost, but in the long run, I don't think a few bucks makes that much of a difference. You'll probably have this calculator for around 8-10 years, or longer.
I am knocking off a star though for the poor choice to stray from a high contrast interface to a light colored font on light colored background. Sure, it's pretty and sleek, but I have poor vision to begin with, and one does have to strain a bit more to find what they're looking for. At first, I actually felt sick from the eye strain.
I would love to see a backlight, font size control, better key contrast, and a vertical scroll for the number entry box. These improvements might warrant a slighly larger screen and larger lithium battery like a PDA supports.
Functionally though, I think it's great and recommended. I don't think the learning curve is anything to be discouraged about.
Customer Review: Good if you need it but most don't
Summary: 4 Stars
If you are taking engineering, statistics, or finance this will be very handy, but if you can get by with something less, try to until TI fixes this one. I find myself using a Sharp EL-506W at 1/10th the price more often than this because even though the keys are smaller on the Sharp, basic calculator functionality is much more readily available on the Sharp and the keys are easier to see.
Programmable calculators were just coming out when I was in college so I waited until the price dropped and I really needed it before getting one. Turned out I got my BS in physics and my MA in math without needing one. Then I worked for a while without needing one. I also got 98th and 99th percentile on my SATs and GREs without one. If you are a dad who wants to show your love for your kid by buying them a fancy gadget get an MP3 player.
I got this for a class in number theory because it handles very, very, large digit numbers. After that class is done I'm selling it.
FIXES NEEDED: TI could fix the 89-Titanium by:
1. power adaptor and backlit screen (big one)
2. much better contrast face plate (Ti-84 has them for 7 bucks)
3. more functions out where you can get them.
4. solar power panel (not a biggie)
Everyone has complained about features 1 and 2 since the Tiranium came out so I have to believe TI will fix it soon.
Customer Review: Printed manual IS available
Summary: 5 Stars
Well, it's just a "short" 606 page version for the TI-89 (not Titanium) and TI-92, but it still beats dealing with 900+ pages from Titanium CD or on-line manual.
Just go to epsstore ti com -> United States -> Graphing -> TI-89 <or> TI-92 Plus -> Manuals/Guide -> "TI-89 and TI-92 Plus full guidebook(English)".
After you are done with that manual, you can easily hone your specific Titanium mastery reading from the monitor.
Functionally TI-89 and TI-92 are nearly identical (minus keyboard on TI-89), so you can find very nice books on TI-92, like those from Gilmar publishing, that you can apply to your Titanium.
I had the same gripes as "cool dude" (see review below) about .25 - 1/4 switching until I started working in the exact mode, pressing [diamond][ENTER] (instead of just [ENTER]), when decimals are needed.
Still, if I need to work just with fractions and other simple things, I pull out my trusty Sharp EL-506WBBK. To switch from .25 to 1/4 and back I toggle the [a b/c] key.
Another example:
If a result of your calcultion is 743/27, to turn it into a proper fraction 27 14/27 on TI-89 you have to envoke propFrac:
F2, 7, 2ND, (-), ), ENTER.
On Sharp: 2ndF, [a b/c].
But then again, TI-89 is crafted for much finer things. And how it does them is beyond praise.
Customer Review: I've seen better days
Summary: 4 Stars
Texas Instruments TI-89 Titanium Graphing Calculator
If you are a high school or college student that is going to take a calculus class, you NEED a TI 89. There is no point in buying a TI 84 , 83, etc. if you intend to take calculus, because you will end up buying a TI 89 anyway.
I like this calculator a lot, it seemed intimidating at first, but if you play around with it for a little bit and have any past experience with graphing calculators it will come easy.
However, I personally prefer the original TI 89 to the TI 89 titanium. In this calculator you have to go back to the "apps" screen if you want to go to the stats list. There are also a lot of applications that you probably will never use and seem incredibly superfluous. I noticed that my battery died in about 4 months, while the batter in the TI 89 (original version) lasted for several years and is yet to die. Finally, the TI 89 titanium is so lacking in color and prettiness in comparison to the TI 89.
So in conclusion, if you intend to be using your calculator as an alarm clock, a phone book, or calendar, and you have a surplus of AAA batteries, then this calculator is the way to go!
Customer Review: A (very useful) niche item
Summary: 5 Stars
For pre-calculus and first-year calculus classes, this calculator is *probably* overkill and could even end up detracting from your understanding of the material, if you are using it instead of learning to do the integration and derivatives.
For higher level classes, however (Multivariable calculus, Differential equations, quantum physics) I would definitely recommend the Ti-89. For math classes, where the main part of the problem consists in *constructing* an integral rather than solving it, it's great to be able to check things quickly so that you don't go through unnecessary work solving an integral that wasn't right in the first place. For some of my science classes (quantum physics) this calculator has been indispensable.
There are other comparable calculators out there, but if you aren't familiar with those options, the Ti-89 is the safest bet, and you can be fairly sure it's what most other students will be using. The learning curve isn't going to be perfectly smooth for most people, but it's much easier to find someone who can explain a particular feature if you're not the only one in the class using that type of calculator. In summary, thanks to the Ti-89's fairly full feature set and prominence in academia, I definitely recommend this calculator.